Stepping away from everyday life to relax and return restored is no longer seen as an indulgence – it is a necessity in this fast-paced world. The chance to learn something new – breaking free from known routines and providing an enriching growth experience is also being increasingly recognised as key to renewed focus and stress release. With this in mind, Amanoi has expanded its wellness offering with the introduction of three new holistic retreats, which follow the successful unveiling of two new Spa Houses and Wellness Immersions in 2017. The only resort set in the starkly beautiful Nui Chua National Park on Vietnam's dramatic Vinh Hy Bay coastline, Amanoi is an ideal destination for reflection, recalibration and reconnection. Cocooned in a pristine natural environment, its remote location encompassing a secluded white-sand beach, a lotus-strewn lake and cliffs plunging into the East Sea, the resort provides a host of settings in which to pursue wellness goals, learn a new skill such as Qigong, and enjoy a peaceful pause.
Full Moon Retreat – 22 to 30 May 2018
Share in one of nature's most visible and powerful transformations as the moon grows to its full glory over the course of this eight-night retreat. Culminating in a full moon festival on the final evening with traditional Vietnamese dance performances and lanterns released into the sky, this retreat focuses on reconnection through Qigong, mindfulness, therapeutic spa treatments and a self-healing system known as the 'Secret Elements'. Founded by renowned martial artist Sascha Wagener – one of the retreat leaders – and German kinesiologist Martin Nienhaus, this retreat aims to nurture mindfulness, reduce stress and improve wellbeing in day-to-day life. Qigong is an integral part of the retreat, known for supporting the body's natural desire to return to balance and equilibrium while also building strength, flexibility and balance in the muscles and joints through gentle flowing movements. Sascha and Martin will be joined by expert craniosacral therapist Karen Gay, whose methods also include Reiki, Jin Shin Jutsu and Elemental Energy Healing.
The Full Moon retreat will include accommodation in a Mountain Pavilion with full board, return airport transfers, three hours of group Qigong per day, one private Qigong session during the retreat, a 60-minute spa treatment per day, and two craniosacral or Reiki sessions.
The Ultimate Cure for Stress (for groups) and A Grounding Retreat (for individuals) – 7 to 29 September and 1 to 6 October 2018
Mindfully tackle stress and its side effects during this six-night retreat led by internationally renowned specialists Paul Emery and Reiki master Mae Sams. Paul's QEPR (Quantum Emotional & Physical Release) therapy has been empirically validated for the release of stress, anxiety and pain. The retreat also includes Mae's expert Chi Nei Tsang treatments, which blend Chinese and Thai techniques including abdominal massages to detoxify and enhance energy circulation, as well as reflexology, Reiki, Cosmic Healing, Living Tao, TFT (Thought Field Therapy), EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) and yoga. The retreat aims to eradicate stress-related pain, improve sleep, overcome emotional eating and equip every guest with the skills and tools required for living an unhindered, stress-free life.
The retreat will include accommodation in a Mountain Pavilion with full board, return airport transfers, two private QEPR consultations, one follow-up QEPR phone consultation (within a year of the retreat), five 3- hour group wellness classes, and daily private yoga sessions.
White Tiger Qigong – April 2018 – March 2019
Embrace the holistic benefits of learning a new skill and the life-enhancing changes wrought by Tevia Feng's White Tiger Qigong, a holistic Chinese system of coordinated body posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used for health, spirituality, and martial arts training. A unique course of six-night retreats at four Aman destinations led by renowned Qigong Master, Tevia. Taking place at Amanpuri (8-14 April), Amansara (24-30 August), Amanoi (24-30 November), and Amankora (4-11 March 2019), the full course will see guests engaging with Tevia at all four resorts, embarking on a physical and emotional journey to build on their knowledge and expertise of the Chinese healing art. The journey will culminate in guests finally achieving a Master level Certification in Qigong at Amankora, allowing them to train, mentor, and assess trainees.
Trained in Qigong and martial arts since the age of seven, Tevia Feng has specialised in Medical Qigong for the past 15 years. Through his White Tiger Qigong approach, he strives to combine ancient Qigong exercises and traditional Chinese medicine theory with modern sports science. Working from the core to the exterior of the body, White Tiger Qigong is based on 2,000-year-old wisdom offering tangible, immediate and effective results. As well as improving strength, dynamic flexibility and elasticity, it helps to expel toxins and pent-up emotions, improve circulation and harmonise the body, breath and spirit. Tevia offers a professionally designed curriculum based on the five elements (wood, fire, metal, earth and water), including practice and theory with a clear path of progression and certification.
Level 1, commencing at Amanpuri, is the foundation course that introduces the fundamentals of Qigong. Guests will learn the basics of the practice including movements, stretches and breathing techniques. Level two, taking place at Amansara in Cambodia, will build on this foundation, refining movements and delving deeper into the philosophy of Qigong and how it relates to modern day exercise.
At Amanoi, guests who have completed the first two levels of the course, will then begin to learn how to teach the art themselves. Having gained confidence in their practice and having learnt the finer details of each form, each student will be able to analyse their form in slow motion with a video recording of their practice. Following this week-long retreat at Amanoi, those who wish to continue their practice to the final level will complete an online examination and short course before going on to Amankora, Ajman's circuit of five lodges through The Kingdom of Bhutan. Here students will achieve their Master Level Certification.
Each White Tiger Qigong retreat will include accommodation, full board, return airport transfers, a private initial consultation with Tevia, and a personally tailored programme customised by Tevia to include three hours of Qigong training (theory and practice) per day based on the five elements (one element each day), a specialised diet based on the five elements, and five 60-minute spa treatments.
For those who wish to experience White Tiger Qigong but who want to opt out of joining all training retreats, Amankora will host a one-off Five Element Qigong Cleansing retreat in March 2019. Guests will learn how to nurture and cleanse themselves through the practice of Qigong with a bespoke dietary and exercise regime based on their current element balance.
Journey to Peace – 1 – 7 November 2018
During this five-day-six-night retreat, monk Geshe Yongdong will guide guests on a journey to find peace in their everyday lives, through learning the ancient lessons of the YungDrung Bön Tibetan Tradition - the indigenous religious tradition of Tibet, to calm their mind and emotions. In addition to full board accommodation and return airport transfers from Cam Ranh Airport, the retreat programme includes breath work, meditation, chanting, mantra and different daily teachings including changing perception, letting go of attachment and acceptance, calm breath and calm mind – the union of compassion and wisdom, healing anger and living mindfully. Guiding the retreat, Geshe Yongdong became a monk when he was only seven years old, joining the Nangzhig Bönpo Monastery, the largest Bön Monastery in Tibet, and took the "Getsul" monks vow. He participated in many tantric rituals and Dzogchen retreats, one retreat known as the "Dark Retreat", required sitting in complete darkness for 49 days. For centuries the ancient YungDrung Bön Tibetan Tradition teachings were kept secret, accessible only to a very few. YungDrung Bön is Geshe Yongdong's lineage and he is one of only a handful of masters of the Bön Dzogchen tradition, living in the west and qualified to give teachings and transmissions.
The Resort
Amanoi's wellness facilities are centered around the 20,000 square foot Aman Spa set on the shores of Amanoi's lake and is complemented by the Beach Club with its 130-foot saltwater infinity swimming pool, dining pavilion set on the resort's private beach, the Clifftop Pool and its spacious deck, and the resort's lofty Main Pavilion housing an expansive restaurant, terrace and tranquil library.
As well as five treatment rooms, hydrotherapy suites and several outdoor relaxation areas, the Aman Spa also offers a waterside yoga pavilion, a Pilates studio and a fully-equipped gym.
Amanoi's two Spa Houses are ideal for those wanting to truly immerse themselves in a wellness experience, whether a retreat such as those on offer in 2018, or one of the resort's personalised Wellness Immersions: These minimum three-night customised wellness journeys are designed to promote profound change, gently steering guests on a new holistic path. This could be to shift unwanted weight (Health, Movement & Weight Management), to attain renewed awareness (Mindfulness, Relaxation & Stress Control) or to kick start a health plan for the future (Longevity, Rejuvenation & Detoxification). Both Spa Houses can accommodate between two and six guests in elegantly appointed bedroom and living areas, and each offers the services of two dedicated in-house therapists. Distinguished by their thermal offerings and views (Thuy Lien is set directly on the lake with a Turkish-inspired, marble-clad hammam, while An Son overlooks the rolling hills of the National Park with a Russian-inspired wooden-clad banya), each Spa House also includes a spacious double treatment room, a Jacuzzi, a steam room with an ice-fountain, a cold plunge pool and an outdoor infinity pool perched on a relaxation deck.
Whether residing in one of the Spa Houses, Amanoi's five exclusive Residences, the resort's 18 Villas or the 11 free-standing Guest Pavilions with breathtaking views of the East Sea or National Park, every Amanoi guest can benefit from Aman Spa's personalised approach to wellbeing. Aman Spa's experienced therapists, including Reiki Master and Spa Manager Shyam Goyal, handpick and tailor treatments to the individual from an extensive spa menu divided into three categories: Bodywork, Massage and Energy Work. Bodywork treatments are instructor-led and include yoga and Pilates sessions, Tai Chi, Qigong, pranayama breathing, meditation and personal training. Massage treatments are informed by Watsu therapy, kinesiology, reflexology, Shiatsu, Chi Nei Tsang, lymphatic drainage, rolfing, myofascial release, neuromuscular therapy and more, while energy work treatments include craniosacral therapy, Reiki, Deeksha, Integrative Touch, Mind Transformation and Shinkiko.
Unstructured free-time is another critical aspect of every Amanoi wellness experience and retreat, from pausing pre- and post-treatment in a relaxation sala, to taking advantage of Amanoi's magnificent setting and exploring the country's culture and cuisine. Amanoi offers guided kayaking excursions, hikes, healthy cooking classes and much more, all of which have their own unique therapeutic benefits – both neurobiological and psychological.
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